“Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body” ~1 Corinthians 6:19-20
Back when I was going through my young, Christian punk rocker phase, I wore all the Jesus Tees. I remember this one shirt in particular that was my absolute favorite with bright, bold letters that read, “Modest is Hottest.”
I wore it all the time, especially my 8th and 9th grade year. I literally wore the color out of it. It was my favorite shirt.
Growing up in church I loved to sing. I have led worship quite a few times, but I remember one particular Sunday a woman came up to me and told me that my knee length dress was distracting her son.
What?
That got my blood boiling, of course. Through the years I kept finding myself annoyed at how Christians perceive modesty.
I remember sitting through a girl’s bible study. The topic was how young girls should dress modestly so that we didn’t cause other boys to sin.
Everyday I hear of women being assaulted, raped, and sexually harassed but somehow it seems to come back to, “if the woman wasn’t dress so “provocative” maybe that wouldn’t have happened when that isn’t the case at all.
It disgusts me. I’m literally repulsed by how not just the church, but the world views modesty.
Here is the conclusion I have come too. You might make “boys” sin, but real men of God know how to control themselves and choose not to allow lust in their hearts.
This doesn’t mean we should flaunt everything we got. In fact, I wholeheartedly believe CHRISTIAN girls should dress modestly, but its not for the reason to keep boys from sinning.
(On a side note, the reason I stress the word CHRISTIAN girls is because if a woman walks into your church who is NOT a Christian and you look down on her for how she is dressed, I can almost promise you will never see her again. You’ve done more harm than good because the church is not designed to be a clique for the perfect people, it is a place for sinners.)
The reason a woman should dress modestly is because her body is not her own, but a temple of the holy spirit.
You belong to God.
(Grab your copy of “Becoming a Proverbs 31 Woman” below!)
With that being said, how do you represent the one to whom you belong?
You see, a woman who is sold out to Christ is more concerned with pleasing God, rather than men. She isn’t living for herself, she is living for the Lord. The saying you attract what you put out couldn’t be more true.
A real man of God isn’t going to go after someone who misrepresents their temple. A true “Boaz” may notice his Ruth’s beauty, but the work of her hands and heart is ultimately what is going to attract him.
In Ruth 3:3 Ruth’s mother in law Naomi tells Ruth to “put on perfume and dress in her nicest clothes.” Basically she told Ruth to look her best. With that being said, just because you are a woman of God does not mean you aren’t allowed to dress up or look nice. In fact, according to Ruth that is how you are supposed to do it!
Modesty is more about reflecting the one to whom you belong. You can dress your best and still be modest.
Modesty is about glorifying God with your body, and not casting your pearls before swine.
Besides, most good men appreciate a little mystery.
My conclusion is this; ladies, church leaders, young girls, women of God. When you tell women to dress modestly, make sure you are presenting the real reason why they should do so. Modesty isn’t about keeping other men from sinning, it is about representing the one to whom you belong and honoring GOD with your body.
Alyssa
This is so true!
I love your posts. You have inspired me to start my own blog!
Tiffany Langford
Praise God! Praying God blesses the work of your hands!
Mary
This is so true I teach my children to dress properly so young men will respect you. Thank you so much for these stories it lets me know I am worth..